Colossian Blog

Renowned philosopher Alvin Plantinga has recently reviewed a new book by Thomas Nagel titled Mind and Cosmos: Why the Materialist Neo-Darwinian Conception of Nature is Almost Certainly False. Take a look at the review here.

When I was in college, I was a theology and philosophy major. I deeply valued my theology courses, and I took as many of them as I could. Toward the end of my time there, a seminary student and alumnus of my school (who did not major in theology as an undergraduate) wrote a helpful guide to undergraduates who aspired to attend seminary. While the majority of his insights were helpful, I was a bit suspicious of one point in particular: âDonât major in bible and theology. Youâll get all of that stuff in seminary anyway, so donât bother with all the repetition.â But it seems to me that theology is a craft rather than an activity in intellectual mind-storing, so repetition and practice are vital to oneâs pursuit of understanding. Theology, furthermore, is an act of worship, which, by nature, consists of Spirit-infused practices that are tangible, embodied, and communally rhythmic. Indeed, our theological rationality does not come out of an information vacuum; rather, itâs tradition-based. In The Colossian Forumâs glossary, an entry on âtradition-based rationalityâ was provided by Dr. Brad Kallenberg, who says that âOne learns a conceptual language not by reading a dictionary but by immersion in a way of life. One comes to read music with comprehension while learning to play an instrument (or sing in a choir) with other musicians.â When applied to theology, hereâs what he says: So too for the language of theology. By participating with others in those activities in which the word âGodâ is at home â activities such as praying, confessing, thanking, evangelizing, worshipping â one will slowly become fluent in the language of God. These repetitive, communal activities cultivate fluency in a language that belongs to the particular community called âchurch.â The churchâs theology never comes out of a rational vacuum and should never be rendered a storehouse of âbrain food.â Rather, with respectful disagreement with my well-intentioned seminary friend, theology requires the ecclesial repetition that makes the church tradition what it is (and an undergraduate theology program is a good place to exercise such repetition!). One of the reasons The Colossian Forum exists is to encourage Christians who are engaging the faith/science conversation (a conversation that is by nature theological) to remember that this dialogue is rendered Christian by the communal fluency in the language shaped by the rhythms of faith, hope, and love. Lamentably, divisions resulting from disagreements over evolution and creationism are an indication that many Christians are not yet fluent in such language. A mark of fluency is disagreeing well. And that takes a lot of practice.

I wonât pretend that I donât take a position on the creation/evolution debate. And Iâll admit that there have been times when Iâve felt polarized from my Christian brothers and sisters due to our differing positions, and I have come to the conclusion that these momentary schisms often mimic the polarities of American partisan politics, where reflections on the common good are woefully absent.Â Whatâs worse, very often the church is also guilty of neglecting the concept of the common good, which can have at least two consequences: it can result in a sectarianism that rejects any possibility of cultural participation, and it can render unintelligible the churchâs own vision of the common good. These consequences, Iâm afraid, carry over into our conversations on evolution and creationism. Andy Crouch has recently written an article for Christianity Today that briefly outlines the content of Pope Leoâs XIIIâs papal encyclical, Rerum Novarum (âOf New Thingsâ), which kicked off the movement known as Catholic social thought. Crouch engages this encyclicalâs idea of âthe common good,â which he says Christians have generally defined as "the sum total of social conditions which allow people, either as groups or as individuals, to reach their fulfillment more fully and more easily." Drawing from Leoâs insights, Crouch says the following: âThe common good is measured by fulfillment or flourishingâby human beings becoming all they are meant to be. And the common good is about persons, both groups and individualsânot just about 'humanity' but about humans, and not just about individuals but about persons in relationship with one another in small groups.â Furthermore, â[The common good] can both draw Christians into engagement with the wider society and prevent that engagement from becoming âall about politicsâ. . . . Family above all, but also congregations, guilds, and clubsâthese âprivate associations,â with all their particular loyalties, paradoxically turn out to be essential to public flourishing. If we commit ourselves to the common good, we must become more public in our thinking and choices, and at the same time not too public. The common good is sustained most deeply where people know each other's names and facesâŚâ The Colossian Forum cares deeply about the common good. In a significant sense, the reason TCF exists is to bring persons in relationship with one another in small groups, to cultivate the virtues of charity and hospitality in order to receive our differing positions as gifts. Rather than fostering a sectarian imagination, TCF hopes to embody the way the world is supposed to be precisely by partaking in the worshipping practices that shape us into the kinds of people whose idea of the common good is intelligible. This is done as a means of public witness for the sake of public flourishing. And TCFâs mode of discourse and action is an alternative to that of mainstream politics, where âsidesâ and âpositionsâ seem to exist for the mere purpose of battling other sides and positions. Given the truth that all things hold together in Christ, positions simply will not receive that kind of reverence. Crouch seems to agree: â[The] common good can give us common ground with our neighbors. We may not agree with themâindeed, Christians don't always agree with one anotherâabout what exactly human flourishing looks like. But the common good is a conversation starter rather than a conversation ender. It can move us away from pitched battles over particular issues and help us reveal the fundamental questions that often lie unexplored behind them. In a time when many conversations between people with different convictions seem to end before they begin, we simply need more conversation starters.â I still take a position on the creation/evolution conversation, but The Colossian Forum has helped me understand that Christ transcends my position, and that schisms over this debate do not serve the common good of the church or the common good of the world.

âOn 15 October, a group of theologians, philosophers and physicists came together for two days in Geneva to talk about the Big Bang. So what happened when people of such different - very different - views of the Universe came together to discuss how it all began?â Be sure to check out the rest of this BBC article: âBig Bang: Is there room for God?âÂ

Mid-November.Â At last, the election dust settles, our phones stop ringing with political calls, and TV returns to its regular programming. Another year, another election. Except this year, something strayed from the script.Â On Election Night 2012, churches across the country invited believers to silence their phones, turn off the televised election coverage, and join together in celebration of our shared identity in Christ.Â Throughout the day, Christians had enjoyed the freedom to participate in our nationâs political process.Â That evening, we gathered to enjoy the even deeper freedom that is ours as heirs of Godâs kingdom â a realm where our differences give way to thanksgiving at the table of Godâs gift. The ballots cast that day took on their proper perspective as Christians joined together in gratitude and confidence that, in fact, all things hold together in Christ. Even Christians who hold opposing political viewpoints. Election Day Communion offered the Church a beautiful gift.Â We practiced and enjoyed the âunity of the Spirit,â a reality which runs much deeper than our identity as Republicans or Democrats.Â We remembered, together, that our hope rests not in one party or another, but instead, as the writer to the Ephesians reminds us, our hope rests in âone Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.â

In high school, I almost lost my faith because of a false dichotomy. I almost became one more casualty in the culture wars. The message that I received, both from Christians and non-Christians, was that Christianity was in fundamental conflict with science. As a result, it seemed as if my Christian peers and I had only two options. There was the path of enlightened, fact-based science over and against mythical religion. Or, there was the path of fidelity to Godâs word over and against dangerous science. TCFâs Manifesto does a good job of articulating this âheartbreaking scenarioâ in which science and religion no longer hold together for young Christians. Many of us end up feeling pressured to choose one side of this apparent dilemma, and the results are always problematic. We can choose enlightened science over religion, but this approach often comes with a very reductionistic view of the world that does not fully account for human experience and other spheres of âknowing.â Additionally, there is a spiritual vacuum left that science, in and of itself, cannot address. We can choose fidelity to Godâs word over science, but this approach forces us to reject the possibility of seeing science as a gift that can be used to understand Godâs creation. As the Manifesto states: Out of concern to be faithful to Christ, many avoid science and thus unwittingly end up avoiding the richness of Godâs many-splendored creation in all its richness and intricate detail. In doing so, they repress their God-given gifts and curiosity about the natural world and turn away from vocations in the sciences. They also miss out on the opportunity to engage in science in a redemptive way, seeing science as one ofÂ the cultural labors by which we can foster shalom. By feeling they must avoid science as âdangerous,â such Christians miss out on the opportunity to participate in the missio Dei, using science to advance Godâs concerns for justice and mercy. When it comes to the spiritual formation of young Christians, the false dichotomy of science vs. religion is a ticking time-bomb that results in an impoverished faith or the loss of faith altogether. What is needed is the realization that there are more than two options on the table, the realization that science and religion âhold together in Christ.â Now, this will not eliminate the need to wrestle with serious issues and questions (e.g. interpretations of Genesis) but it will mean that young Christians will not have to reject Christianity or Science, wholesale, as a result of a false dichotomy. Addressing this need is one of the reasons why TCF exists. Read the rest of TCFâs Manifesto.

The Colossian Forum equips leaders to transform messy cultural conflicts into opportunities for spiritual growth and witness. Our vision: a Christian community that acts Christian, especially in the face of conflict.